Are Low-Nicotine Cigarettes Less Addictive?

Are cigarettes with lower amount of nicotine less addictive? Twenty years ago health experts came with this idea. However, with time the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) via numerous studies showed that this is a wrong affirmation.

In 2009, the Tobacco Control Act gave the FDA an authority to regulate tobacco products use in the USA. Besides this, the FDA received an authority to reduce nicotine in tobacco products in order to improve health of population. There were made few studies on the effects of consumption of high levels of nicotine compared to lower levels. Modern scientists are totally preoccupied with this subject and come with results of a recent study regarding the issue.

The New England Journal of Medicine published results of a new study by University of Pittsburgh. The author of the study is psychologist Eric C. Donny, who along with his team showed the importance of the reduction of nicotine rate in cigarettes.

The study was made in 2013-2014 and there participated 840 smokers in it. The participants were randomly devided into several groups who used their usual cigarettes brand, experimental cigarette with 15.8 mg nicotine or experimental cigarette with low nicotine. The smokers received cigarettes for free and they were paid for participating. The duration of the study was six weeks.

The study found a great split in smoking behavior among those who used cigarettes with high nicotine levels and those using low nicotine levels. Participants who smoked low-nicotine cigarettes used 30% fewer cigarettes than those who smoked high-nicotine cigarettes. It was revealed that 67% reduction in nicotine did not affect smoking behavior, but an 85% reduction did. Low-nicotine cigarettes showed to lower scores on ratings of dependence and withdrawal at sixth week. However, those using low-nicotine cigarettes had lower cravings for cigarettes during abstinence.

Nicotine is the substance which causes addiction, but it is not responsable for development of cancer and heart diseases.